488 GTB (458 replacement)

I was about to reply to that one, but you just beat me to it. Your reply was both cohesive and comprehensive. Kudos sir!

On top of what you already mentioned, turbo lag is also extremely disruptive when it comes to vehicle dynamics. Imagine taking a turn at, say, 80 mph and requesting a smidgen of power just to nulify the push of the front end. A NA engine will reply with immediacy. A turbo will take a few moments to sort out its mind and then will over-react by upping the boost and kicking you in the arse. This exact nature of turbo engines is what made the F40 both brilliantly hilarious and also a dreaded handful.

 

There will be no perceivable turbo lag with this car. It will appear to have too much power everywhere. Unless we believe that Ferrari cannot match BMW.

 

I wonder why Ferrari didn't do electric turbochargers like BMW and Audi are working on or have patented? This technology is used to spool up turbos at the lower engine speeds typically under 3k. Above that level it would use exhaust gases as that becomes more efficient at higher rpms.

The electric turbo boost eliminates lag completely or to the point where it would not be noticeable. If you have not heard of this before just google something like "spooling turbos electric". Seems Honda, Audi, BMW and others are all playing with this in some way.

Anyone have any insight why Ferrari didn't go down this road? I wonder if the patents prevented it or if they merely knew they were going to do the LaFerrari torque fill trick in upcoming models instead of the e-powered turbo.

 

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We need to see it in person...the model pic (not my pic) from above shows all the design elements blending in.
I hope I am not speaking an heresy...but when I saw pics of the LaFerrari I was underwhelmed. Then I saw it in person...and wow!

 

And then BMW pipes in some nice engine noise through speakers in the cockpit. Still sounds like crap from the outside ala Porsche turbos. (You can fool some of the people some of the time and you may be able to fool most of the people most of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. AL)

 

I happen to have a N/A BMW 330i E92 coupe and when I drove the new 428i turbo, I was disappointed by the engine...

 

Maybe because it was a complicated sistem that adds weight and heat?

Question for who was at the launch event: Is this the first v8 on 20 years not to use a coveed under body? It's partially covered or the cover under the engine was taken out for the event?

 

We will find out soon but I am getting ready just in case....I have already bought my next registration plate
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My 2015 Turbo S Cab can do 2.6 to 60 in Launch - the car drives perfect but sounds like a vacuum cleaner...
My 458 on the other hand... pure bliss...

 

Yes. Torque alone does not a super car experience make!

 

i could not agree more. the driving experience in the 458 beats every other car that i have driven (this includes the maccis, lambos, the porsche GT3, TTS and 918, have not driven the laferrari and P1 though) in terms of tactility, noise etc. i hope that ferrari managed to carry some of this over to the 488.
peter

 

The drivetrain in the 458 is what produces the experience. The last 1000 RPM + short gear ratios.

 

yes. over 8K it is just mind-blowing. that won't fly in the 488. i am worried that it will come to life only at license-dangering speeds. but on the other hand what to do? go for the speciale? seems like last year stuff::))))....just kidding!!!

 

That's not even about torque. It's all about traction and gearing. A Speciale opens to 991TT a new one above 60 mph...

 

BMW is not using this on any real M models yet (electric turbo) to my knowledge. I think the only electric turbo is the tri-turbo diesel in the EU. We are probably at least a gen out, but it may never be needed IMO.

The new M engines are incredibly responsive though even with exhaust-driven turbos. They also use anti-lag.

I hear overrun in the videos of the 488 when they rev it. That is not a traditional thing - like the 4.3 and 4.5 NA V8s will not do that. So they are probably doing some over-fueling to keep them spooled. Wiki also says the turbos are twin-scroll. So they should be awesome at all revs if speced correctly. Finally, the runs for the plumbing look short and sweet to me. I bet this thing is going to blow people's minds.

 

You have to drive the latest turbo M engine to see where they are : ) Drive the new M3 or M4. That represents the best and brightest IMO.

That's a nice engine in the 428 though - but that is just not enough power for a 3500 lb car....also no anti-lag.

 

Definitely removed for the event. There is no way the aero will work with that exposed.

 

Ferrari will not build good sounding unlimited car without roof. F12 roadster need to be unlimited for this who will miss 458 spider.

 

Anyone want to take a wild guess on whether or not Carbon Fiber Engine Manifolds will be available as an option on the 488? I'd have guessed "yes", considering they've done it on the 458 and I believe 430 as well. But, then given this shot, that has the carbon fiber in between the two sets of cylinders, maybe not:

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/20/160d829923301d8a23bb0a0ec4c3cbdf.jpg

That, and that the carbon engine was I believe standard on the Speciale, so maybe they'd want to make that the last round of carbon engine heads?

 

Did anyone saw new key on presentation in Maranello?

 

Even if the exhaust may not have a scream straight from the factory, there's always novitec and decatted.

 

I'm afraid that won't help much. The basic problem is the physics: energy is being taken out of the exhaust by the turbos. Less energy --> less noise. The TT may sound ok at idle and low rpm but once the turbos spool up, the exhaust just doesn't get that much louder as RPMs build. Also the high mid range torque and relatively low RPM for peak torque dictate longer gears. It will not be like the 458 where you are constantly shifting to stay in that high RPM power band.

Heh look. I am not crapping on the car. This is just the physics. Compensating for these differences will be prodigious torque and great acceleration times.

If you drive it and come away unimpressed as I am sure some will, you can blame it on your governments who pressure a manufacturer of 7000 cars a year to conform with their fetish for emissions requirements of a trace gas that gives life to plants and all animals that eat them. Take it up with them.

 

We could blame it on the government for not giving the plants their food or we could blame it on customers for buying too many ferraris and forcing them to make 7000 units a year unlike lamborghini. JK. By the way, have heard the M4 decatted? It sounds almost like a 6cyl racecar.

 

Novitec,etc will make it louder, but not screaming higher. To scream higher, the engine needs to be all-out-tuned, and that's expensive. The cheaper way is to install turbo charger. It has all the advantages, except the sound and throttle feel. But IMO, one of the most important thing about super car, let alone hyper car, is the sound.
The new 488 definitely looks very good and will be faster than F12. But let's see if Ferrari has a magic about the sound track. But if we look at Cali T and turbocharged F1, it will sound lame.

 

turbo can't scream, novitec will make it louder but still dirty not melodic sound